Last Sunday, I joined the Vesporeans for a trip exploring the side of Singapore that is not commonly seen. It was surprising to find out that beneath the cosmopolitan side commonly known to Singapore, there were still a less travelled, charming, urban side.
It was a beautiful morning. We rode on the secluded, winding roads of Jalan Bahar and after traveling by a long stretch, we reached our first stop. The Qian Hu fish farm. This place is famous for it’s fish spa treatment, which seemed to be all the rage at the moment.
It was an interesting place, there were so many fishes here that it seemed more like a museum. There were even some exotic ones which costs thousands of dollars!
I saw one of my favourite fishes – the Blood Parrot cichlid. It’s the one in the bottom right – easily recognizable from the shape of their mouths. They seem to always be happy and smiling.
Eventually, we headed to the fish spa area where we paid $10 for a 30 minute session. We walked past a number of children who seemed engrossed in catching some tiny fishes and then we finally dipped our feet where the nibble fishes were.
It was a most memorable experience! At first it was scary, and then it was ticklish but after a while, it actually felt kind of nice!
Here is a quick video :
And at the end of the session, I don’t know if it was from the soak or from the fishes nibbling my feet, but my feet felt noticeably softer. It was amazing!
Check out our sexeh feet!
On the spur, Ah James suggested that we head to visit the goat farm, which was a short ride away and thus our second stop – the Hay Dairies Goat Farm.
It was already noon when we reached there and we quickly seeked shelter from the hot sun and we got for ourselves a bottle of fresh goat milk. It was refreshing to drink in the hot weather. It tasted a little different from cow milk as it was not have a thick after-taste.
I got myself a packet of hay and we walked to the goats pen where there were a number of people who were already there. Amazingly, the area did not have a bad smell as generally perceived.
It was interesting seeing the goats. I was surprised to see the shape of their irises. Unlike our round ones, theirs were ellipse – like tadpole eggs.
The baby goats were so adorable. I couldn’t resist touching them (and even attempting to kiss them) I found out that their fur were actually rough to the touch.
The older goats nibbled greedily at the hay that we gave them and they were smart enough not to bite us (although there were a number of goats which tried to eat my bag and t-shirt) but it was their mouth to watch out for. It was really wet!
Here is a quick video :
Quick trivia
Did you know that the shape of a goats teeth will tell you their age?
The goat farm trip was amazing. In a way, it felt as if I went back in time and was going on a school excursion for geography – learning about the different rural practices. But I didn’t mind it one bit. It was so much fun! 🙂
Initially Ah James thought of having lunch at Jurong Point Shopping Center. It was only when he noticed a brochure that we decided to have lunch at an organic farm. So our next stop was Bollywood Veggies!
I know about the place through bloggers Shaz and Aidil whom gave raving reviews about the food here, so I know that it was good 🙂
It was another short ride, we went past a number of interesting sights. One of the memorable landmarks for me was an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere.
As soon as we noticed the sign “Poison Ivy”, we knew it was the right place. It seemed such an idyll place. There were so much green as far as the eye can see. By the time we entered the dining area, there were already a number of people who were having their lunch. Some of them I recognized from the goat farm even.
We ordered a number of items :
This one I liked a lot!
Mmmm …!!
Here is a quick video of our lunch :
I felt a tinge of sadness when all the nice food were gone.
Finally Leonids suggested that we head to Petal Leaves for a tea break. By then I was already tired out of the activities. Hence the lack of pictures. I spent the time plonked out on the seat.
However, Leonids mentioned that it was a nice place for wedding ceremonies as there were a plentiful of flowers and greenery. The only problem was that the place was very secluded and difficult to get to, unless the person had their own transportation. Nevertheless, the place seemed a lovely place 🙂
Eventually, it was time to get back home. As I stayed in Jurong, I said my goodbyes to the rest of the gang who were heading to Kallang, and I left alone, feeling euphoria from the wonderful activities that we had together.
It was such a nice day. I’d love to do it again!
Links :
Sidenote : I’d like to watch Leap Years. Care to join me? 🙂
Wow, what an interesting trip. I went to Bollywood Veggies and the Goat Farm once as well and yea, I loved the chocolate flavoured milk so much that I bought a whole box(carton) back. =p
The food definitely looks good, yum yum! And yes, I would love to watch the movie Leap Years too. Having said that, I haven’t forgotten our chocolate date. =) We’ll correspond further with regards to the date, time etc. via email?
thats cruel. how are the goats going to sleep with their heads sticking out through the fence like that?
Vanclaire
An entire carton? Wow! Hehehe … That would have costed you quite a bit didnt it?
Oh yes the chocolate date! Thanks for reminding me, I almost forgotten about it! Yes, through the email would be good 🙂
6
Eh?
But we were there. The goats had more than enough space to put their heads through the gate to be fed and take their heads out when they want to go to sleep.
They are not stuck there 🙂
i saw crabs.
do they have crab spa?
CC
Nope, there isn’t a crab spa … why don’t you try it first? 😛 Hehehehe
Hello! Thank you for tagging at my site. Your site is great too! 🙂 And I love the places you went to and had dined at that restaurant! 😀
Serene
Awww … and thanks for dropping in! 🙂
Hi! Man, I love Singapore! I went there once for like a day, and it is such a gorgeous place… I want to try the fish spa, that looks like fun (particularly because my feet are dry, so the fish would have a field day lol) Aww, and I love your accent (heard from video), it’s too cute! 🙂
i went there long time ago, din see any fish spa. is that new?
Bah Soon Pah Road, somehow when I read it out, it came out as Buang Sampah Road from my mouth. LOL….
Ms Anthrope
My accent is cute? Erm … (head swells) Hehehehehe
You should come to the fish spa! Its an experience. There are a number of them in Singapore. The one that we went seems the one most value for money, but the location is very secluded though
I think you’d enjoy the experience, nevertheless 🙂
Keropokman
I am not too sure, but Qian Hu has been noted for the fish spa for about a year now but I’ve no idea how long they have been around.
Care to try a session … its really an experience! 😀
Buang Sampah road! Oh my! I’m not going to dip my feet in a place called “throw rubbish away” road! Hahahaha!
Hi Rina:
Hope all is well. I really enjoyed the “eaten alive by fish” video. Got a good chuckle.
Cheers,
Shane
wow… i like.. i wanna go..
hey there, i’m doing a proj on hay dairies for marketing ( nus -sch of business ), and i would like to ask for ur permission in using ur photos of the farm?
Shane
Hehehehe 🙂 Thanks!
Yanni
Go! Go! You wont regret it!
Liett
Sure thing, not a problem 🙂
Wow. This blog post is a road map for how to have a great day in rural Singapore! Gonna have to bookmark this one so my wife and I can follow in your footsteps.
About those fish… I’ve always wondered about them. It is kinda scary and that’s why I never stopped into one of the parlors offering it. I guess I’ll have to give it a try now though.